Trimming or snipping machine.



E. A. SALTER. mlmmma 0R SNIPPING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED IAN. 8. |917.

Patented June 19, 1917.

5 SHEETS-SHEET l.

me Nrmms Pers", u now-urna. wAsmNcroN. u. n

E. A. SALTER. TRIMMING 0R SNIPPING MAGHlNE. APPLICAHON HLED JAN. 8, 1911.

1,230,227'. Patented June 19, 1917.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E. A. SALTER. TRINIIVIING 0R SNIPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 8. 19I7. 1,230,227. PatenaJune 19, 1917.

30 5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

E. A. SALTER. T-RIMMINGVOR SNIPPING MACHINE. APPLICATION HLED 11111.13. 1911.

Patented lune 19, 1917.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

E. A. SALTER.

TRIMMING 0R SNIPPING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED 1AN.s. 1911.

1 ,230,22'7. Patented J uneI 19, 1917.

. 5 SHEETS-SHEET 5 fig m@ /l M www EDWARD A. SALTER, OF NORTH ROSE, NEW YORK.

TRIMMING OR SNIPPING MACHINE.

Application filed January 8, 1917.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. SALTER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of North Rose, in the county of Vayne and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trimming or Snipping Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to trimming or snipping machines for' cutting olf the ends of string beans or other articles in which the lengths differor have variation, and an object of this invention is to provide a construction which will insure that the ends of the articles are brought to a certain position so that the proper amount will be trimmed or cut off. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved construction which will utilize a knife having a reciprocating or chopping movement. A further object of the invention is to provide a bunching mechanism which will form and hold the articles in a bunch so that they will not be displaced by the cutting mechanism.

To these and other ends the invention consists of certain parts and combinations of parts all of' which will be hereinafter described, the novel features being pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings f :Figure l is a View in side elevation of a bean snipping machine embodying the present improvements;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the machine, the feeding belt being removed;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on the line 4*@ Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of the bunching mechanism, showing the position of the latter during its movement to bunch the beans;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, showing the beans held by the bunching mechanism and the knife moved to cutting position;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line 7 7, FigfG;

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8, Fig. G, and y 'Fig'. 9 is a detail sectional view showing the articles held by a brush during the shifting of a bucket. n

Referring more particularly to the draw- Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented June 19, 1917.

serial No. 141,229.

ings, l indicates a frame on which is mounted two shaftsQ and 3, the shaft 2, having two loose sprockets L thereon while the shaft 3 has two sprockets 5 secured thereto to turn therewith. About the sprockets 4l and 5, two sprocket chains 6 are passed, these chains being connected at intervals by cross pieces or guide bars 7, thereby forming an endlessr conveyer of the belt type. Mounted on the guide bars 7, for moving in the direction of the length of the bars, and transversely of the path of the conveyer are buckets or receptacles 8 which preferably have flaring side walls and open bottom walls, these buckets or receptacles being moved on the bars by a suitable mechanism, one form of which will be hereinafter described. A table 9 is arranged in such a manner that it closes the bottoms of those buckets on the uppermost lap of the conveyer so that articles deposited in the buckets will be confined therein during a certain portion of the travel of such buckets, the table being provided at l0 with an opening through which the contents of the buckets are discharged. Beneath this opening, an endless belt or other conveyer ll is mounted to conduct the articles discharged through the opening l0 to one side of the machine, and this conveyer may be driven from the shaft 3 by means of a bevel gear 11a on the shaft meshing with a bevel gear 1lb on a shaft 11 of the conveyer. If desired, this conveyer may have openings l1d therein, large enough to permit the tips of the beans to fall therethrough, but too small for the passage of the main portions of the beans, thus causing a separation of the tips of, the beans. These openings may be elongated transversely of the line of travel of the conveyer so that the main portions of the beans extend transversely of the openings. 'The material may be fed to the buckets 8 by any suitable means such, for instance, as an endless conveyer l2 which has its discharging end directly over the bucket conveyer to discharge into the bucketsdS as the latter reach such discharging en The bucket conveyer is fed by a step-bystep movement, this preferably being accomplished by providing a shouldered or ratchet wheel 13 on the shaft 3, and engaging such wheel by a tooth 14 on the end of a piston rod 15, the latter being eccentrically connected at 1G to a sprocket wheel 17 which is securedto the sha-ft@ so that thevshaft and' the sprocket wheel turn together. rThe sprocket wheel is given continuous rotation in any suitable mann'e'ras,` for in`stai1c`e,'by the sprocket chain 18 which also surrounds the sprocket wheel 19 on a shaft 20, the latter having also thereon a pulley 21 connected by' a'belt 22 to a pulleyv 23 on the shaft 24, which carriesalso a pulley 25 adapted to be connected by a belt 26 with a line shaft overhead;

Mechanism' provided for moving the buckets or receptacles Stransversely of the conveyer in'order" that the articles within the buckets or receptacles rmay'bebrought to proper positions'to befactedA upon by the cutting vI'nech'anism'- pusher-s2? and )28, one operating in advance ofthe other on a bucket to push the latter in one direction, 'while theother operates later on thebuc'ket to push the same' in the opposite direction. Inthi's instance7 these pushers :are connected together lfor simultaneons movement, andV to this end are in thejforn ofswingng arms pivoted' at-29 A"abov'eth'e uppermost "lap ofV thel conveyor and connected together by 'gear segments 30, so that as 'one y'moves' in one direction,4 the 'other moves'in the opposite direction. Preferl ablyfthefmovcment isefect'e'd by a cam'31 arranged onth'e" shaft 20- and having its operative face 32 engaging the arm of the pusher 27, to move the yla-tterin one directiony'this face 32 being rolling so'thatvthe pushing action is not continuous but 'is in the form of a 'series'of impulses so thatthev contents'of the buckets orl receptacles/are subjected to a jarring 'action Springs 33 acton the pushers'QTfand- 23 to Ymove the latter to-their normal positions. The pusher 27'jbeginsjto ac'ton 'its'bucket'or receptacle while the" bucketconveyer is moving, but

does noti complete its'shifting action funtil after the bucket conveyer has completed its movement one step.; This' shi fts the bucket or 'receptacle to one side of the line' or path of travel of the buckets. On Ithe nekt movement' of'fthe vbucket conveyer one step, the

This bucket moving mechanism, in this instance, embodies two" dragging action on the beans within the buckets, while the latter are moving endwise, two drag producing devices 34 and 35 are provided. Inthis instance, these elements are in the form of vertically movable brushes mounted in guides 36 on a cross piece 37 ofthe vframe 1, and arranged so that 'they do not: enter the buckets until the step-bystep movement is completed. The brush 34 enters the bucket which is being shifted transversely by the pusher 27 and engages the beans within such bucket, and the brush 35 enters the bucket which is being shifted by the pusher 23to engage the beans in such bucket. yThe engagementof -thebeans by the "brushes is 'comparatively slight, being suflicientto hold"the`be`ans against movement V'untill suclr beans are'l engaged by the end' ofthe bucket, aftenwhiclr the brush permits the beans to slip thereunder. Operation of the brushes may 'be effected by levers 38, which are"pivoted at`39 Ato the crosslrar 37i and haveftheii" free ends engaging'the brushes: at'40. Springs 41 act onthel'arm's 38' and tendto elevate theflatter with their brushes', while rollers 42 on the'pusher arms'Q? and 2S engage the upper surfaces of theL levers 33 and depress the latter vduring the latter part of the endwise movement of :theHV buckets.

"It is desirable to `employ a bunching mechanism'-which will operate upon vthe beans within Athe"*buckets or receptacles to bunch the latter prior to the shipping or s'eve'ring'bf the'"ends. In this instance a bunching mechanism is provided 'for Aeach of the pushe'rs',"tliis mechanism preferably comprising'a presser foot 43 and two grippers 44 operating o'n opposite sides of the presser foot. The pair of bunching mechanisms are preferably arranged on a single movable frame 45'wlii'ch is guided vertically on the frame 1 of the machine above the upper lap'o'f'the 'conveyerL A spring 46 tendsl normally tohold the bunching mechanisms in an elevated position out of the path 'ofthe buckets or receptacles, while a cani 471,' arrangedon the shaft"` 20, acts on the roller 4S to' depress the frame v45 to carry the two bunching mechanisms into two of the buckets or receptacles after the latter have bee"n"shifted endwise. The beans are lirst 'engaged bythe presser foot 43 which is mounted' on a slide'49 arranged on the frame 45. This slide 49 carries a pin 50 which worksin curved slots 51 in the grippers 44 and tends to move said grippers about their commonpivot'52, to' swing'their lower ends into'engage'ment with opposite sides of the bunch held by the presser foot 43, as will be seen more" clearly by 'referring to Figs. 5 and 6. lithA the raising ofthe frame 45, a spring 53 4acts on'th'e slide 49 and tends to move the latter with the Vvpresser foot 43 and the grippers 44 to their normal positions.

After the beans have been bunched, they are subjected to two snipping or cutting devices each of which is preferably in the form of a blade 54 carried by one of the arms of the frame 45 and brought into action during the latter part of the bunching action. A rubber or other yielding pad 55 may be arranged Linder each of the knives 54 to prevent the chilling of the latter.

' In the operation, beans are fed to the conveyer 12'and by the latter are discharged into the receptacles 8 as such receptacles reach the discharging end of such conveyer 12. After beans are received Within the receptacle, the pusher 27 is brought into action to shift the receptacle 8 transversely of the bucket conveyer, While the bucket or receptacle is being moved by the conveyer. This brings the beans against one Wall of the bucket and after the movement of the bucket conveyer has ceased, the sidewise or transverse movement of the bucket continues and at the same time the brush 34 enters the bucket and acts on the beans in such a manner as to hold against movement those beans which are not in engagement with the Wall of the bucket, so that such Wall Will eventually contact With all the beans, after which the brush will permit the beans to be moved relatively thereto. When the transverse or sidewise movement of the bucket is completed, the presser foot 43 engages the beans in the bucket and causes the grippers also to engage the beans to produce a bunch. During the latter part of the bunching action, the knife 54 Which is nearer the intake end of the machine severs or snips the ends of the bean in proximity to the end wall of the bucket. Upon the completion of the snipping action, the cutter and the grippers move first away from the beans leaving the presser foot in engagement therewith to strip them from the cut-y ter, after Which all of such parts are Withdrawn from the bucket. The bucket con` veyer now starts to move under the action of the pitman 15 and during this movement the pusher 28 cooperates with the bucket, Whose operation was previously described, to shift the latter into line with the other bucket. This shifting is not completed when the bucket conveyer again stops so that the brush 35 can enter the bucket 8 to operate upon the beans therein, in the same `manner as the brush 34 had previously operated, With the exception that the beans are now caused to engage With the opposite Wall of the bucket. When the bucket has completed its movement into line with the otherv buckets, the second bunching mechanism comes into operation to bunch the beans again after Which their other ends are severed. The beans with their severed ends are carried step-by-step to the opening l0 through which they drop onto the conveyer 1l which separates the tips from the main portions of the beans and carries the main portions to any suitable point.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. In a machine of the class described, an endless conveyer having transverse guides thereon, buckets movable on said guides, and means for shifting said buckets in opposite directions on the guides, and means for cutting off the ends of the article contacting With opposite Walls of the buckets.

:2. In a machine of the class described, an endless conveyer, buckets movably mounted on the conveyer, and a device entering the buckets to contact With the articles therein in order to cause them to contact With a Wall of the bucket for vthe severing of such end.

3. In a machine of the class described, an endless conveyer, bottomless buckets carried by the conveyer and movable transversely of the path of travel of the conveyer, and a table over which said buckets are carried to close the bottoms thereof, means for shifting the buckets in opposite directions on the conveyer, and means for cutting off the ends of beans coperating With opposite end Walls of the buckets.

4. In a machine of the class described, buckets movably mounted on the conveyer, and two pushers, one acting successively on the buckets to shift them in one direction and the other acting successively on the buckets to shift them in the other direction, and means for cutting off the ends of the articles contacting with opposite Walls of the buckets.

5. In a machine of the class described, an endless conveyer, buckets on the conveyer, mechanism for feeding said conveyer step- 105 by-step, means for causing the articles to be brought alternately against opposite end Walls of the buckets, and cutting devices entering said buckets Whil e the latter are stationary to cut the ends of the articles Within 110 the bucket against the end Walls.

6. In a machine of the class described, an endless conveyer, mechanism for feeding the conveyer step-by-step and a pair of cutting devices for operating on opposite ends 115 of articles moved by the conveyer, said cutting devices being movable to engage the articles While the conveyer is stationary.

7. In a machine of the class described, an endless conveyer, bottomless buckets on 126 the conveyer, a rtable over Which the bottomless buckets are caused to travel to support the articles Within the buckets, mechanism for feeding the conveyer step-by-step, and a pair of cutting devices movable to 125 engage the articles Within the buckets While the conveyer is stationary.

8. In a machine of the class described, an endless conveyer, having transverse guides thereon, bottomless buckets movable on said 'rea able onsaidfguides, a table over which saidy buckets are carried tosupport articles therein, means foi-'shifting the buckets my opposite directions on the guides, and means for cuttingoff the articles contacting with such walls, said means comprising two cuttingy devices, one movable into a bucket; after it has been shifted in one direction, and the other movable into a` bucket after it has `been shiftedin the other direction.

10. In a machine ofthe class described, an endless conveyer having transverse guides thereon, means for feeding the conveyer step-by-'step, bottomless buckets movable on the guides, a table over which the buckets are carried to support. the articles therein, means for shifting the buckets in opposite directions on thev guides, two devices entering thebuckets to contact with the articles therein while the buckets are shifting on'the guides in order to cause the,

articles to contact withopposite walls of the buckets, and two cuttingdevices each moving into a bucket whilethe conveyer, is stationary to cut offthe ends ofE thearticles contacting with a wall of the bucket.

11. In a machine of the class described, an endless conveyer having transverse guides thereon, bottomless buckets,` movable yon the guides, a table on which vthe buckets are carried to support thearticles therein,

means forI shiftingthe buckets in oppositev directions on the guides, twoI devices enteringthe buckets to 4contact with the articles therein while the buckets are-shiftingA on the guidel in lorder to' cause the articles to contact with opposite wallsof the buckets, andmeans for cuttingvoff the ends of the articles contacting with such walls.

12. In a machine of the class described, two shafts each providedwith a pair of sprocket wheels, `the wheels onA one shaft being mounted to turn thereon, two sprocket chains each connecting a sprocket wheel on VAone shaft with a sprocket wheel on theA other shaft, transverse guides connecting said sprocket chains, a pitman eccentrically connected at one end to the shaft onI which the sprocket wheel turns, and having a tooth at the opposite end, a notched wheel `on, the other lshaft engaged by said tooth, means for driving the shaft on which the sprocket wheels turn, bottomless buckets movable on the guides, means for moving the bucketsv inY opposite directions, a table over which the buckets are v carried and means for cutting ofi' thel ends ofthe articles contacting with opposite, walls of` the buckets.

13. In a. machine ofthe class described,

endless conveyer, bottomless buckets thereon, aY table over which the buckets are carried for supportingk the. articles in the buckets, means forI moving. the buckets transversely of the path of travel of the c onveyer relatively to the table, and means for cutting oit the opposite ends of articles within, the buckets.

141. In a machinev of the class described, an endless conveyer, buckets mounted for movement on the conveyer transversely of the path of.tra,v.el:of theconveyer, two pivotally mounted' pushers one acting in advance of the otherl topush a bucket in one direction on theconveyer and the other acting to returnthe bucket. to its normalposition on the conveyer. and means for cutting off. theends ofthe articles contacting with opposite walls of the buckets.

15. Ina machinelofvthe class described, an endless conveyer, buckets mounted for movement on the conveyer. transversely of the. path of travell of the conveyer, two pushersconnected.together for simultaneous movement, one acting in advance of the other4 to push abucket in. one direction on theconveyer and the other acting to return the bucket to normal position, a-spring actingon the pushers to vreturn them to normal positions, a camactingon one of the pushers tol effectthe operating movementV ofthe pusher andmeans for cutting ofil the ends of the articles contacting. with opposite walls of the buckets. i

1 6. In a machine ofthe class described, endlessconveyer, means for feeding the conveyer step-by-step, buckets mounted for movement on theV conveyery transversely of the path` of travel of. the conveyer, two pushers, one acting on the buckets to push them in one direction, partially while the conveyeris moving and partially while the conveyer is` stationarv and the other acting toreturn the. buckets to normal positions, partially whilel the conveyer is moving and partiallvwhilethe conveyer is stationary, and while thel buckets are being shifted by the pushers, to act on vthe articles therein to causesuch articles to contact with opposite walls of-the bucket and means for cutting off the ends of the articles contacting with opposite walls of the buckets.

17. In a machine of the class described, an endless conveyer, means for feedingthe conveyer step-by-step, buckets mounted on the conveyer transversely of the path of. travel ofthe conveyer, two pushers connected `together for simultaneous movement, one acting vin advance of the other -to push a bucketdnone direction, and the other acting to return the bucket to normal position, and two devices slidably mounted above the buckets and operated by the pushers to enter buckets which are being shifted by the pushers While the conveyer is stationary, in order to engage the articles in the bucket to cause such articles to contact With certain Walls of the bucket, and means for cutting off the ends of articles contacting With such walls.

1S. In a machine of the class described, mechanism for causing a plurality of articles to be arranged With one of their ends in a common plane, a bunching mechanism acting on such articles after they have been so arranged, and a cutting device acting to sever such ends While the articles are held by the bunching mechanism.

19. In a machine of the class described, an

endless conveyer having buckets thereon,

means for causing a plurality of articles Within the buckets to be arranged with their ends in a common plane, a bunching mechanism for entering such buckets after the articles have been so arranged, and a cutting device for removing such ends of the articles.

20. In a machine of the class described, an endless conveyer, buckets thereon, means for causing a plurality of articles Within the buckets to be arranged with their ends in a common plane, a bunching mechanism entering said bucket and comprising a pusher for coperating With the top of'said bunch and two grippers coperating With opposite sides of the bunch, and a cutting device for removing such ends from the articles While they are held by the bunching mechanism.

2l. In a machine of the class described, an endless conveyer, means for moving the conveyer step-by-step, means for causing the articles carried by the conveyer to be brought With one of their ends in a common plane, a bunching mechanism acting on the articles after they have been so arranged and while the conveyer is stationary, and

`cutting' mechanism acting on the articles to remove such ends While the articles are held by the bunching mechanism.

22. In a machine of the class described,

an endless conveyer, means for moving said conveyer step-by-step, tvvo cutting devices for removing opposite ends of articles moved by the conveyer, said cutting devices operating on such articles While the conveyer is stationary, and means for bringing the articles to positions Where their opposite ends may be removed by the cutting devices.

23. In a machine of the class described, an endless conveyer, means for moving the conveyer step-by-step, buckets on the conveyer, a bunching mechanism entering the buckets successively While the conveyer is stationary, and a cutting device for operating on the articles held by the bunching mechanism While the conveyer is stationary.

24. In a machine of the class described, an endless conveyer, mechanism for moving the conveyer step-by-step, buckets on the conveyer, a knife entering the buckets successively While the conveyer is stationary, a knife carrier, a presser foot yieldingly supported on the knife carrier to engage the articles in the bucket prior to the knife, and tvvo pivoted grippers to engage the articles on opposite sides of the presser foot, said grippers being controlled by the presser foot.

25. In a machine of the class described,

an endless conveyer, mechanism for moving the conveyer step-by-step, tvvo movable cutting devices for removing opposite ends of the articles moved by the conveyer, means for bringing the articles to positions vvhere their opposite ends may be removed by the cutting devices, and tvvo movably mounted presser feet one for each cutting device to hold the articles against movement during the cutting action and to strip such articles from said cutting devices after the cutting action. 26. In a machine of the class described, an endless conveyer, buckets movably mounted thereon, means coperating with opposite ends of the buckets for producing a jarring of the buckets, and'means for cutting oir" the ends of the articles contacting with the opposite Walls of the buckets.

EDWARD A. SALTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

